The present invention relates to a novel storage device system which is arranged to connect with a plurality of different kinds of networks. More particularly, the invention relates to the method of controlling a duplication of the storage device system.
Today, the amount of data to be processed by a computer system is abruptly on the rise. In order to efficiently use and manage such a massive amount of data, a new technology has been developed in which a plurality of disk array devices (referred to as a storage device system) is connected with an information processing apparatus through a leased network (Storage Area Network abbreviated as SAN) so that a fast and great deal of accesses to the storage device system may be implemented. For connecting the storage device system with the information processing apparatus through the SAN and realizing a fast data transfer, in general, a network is configured through the use of communication equipment arranged according to a fiber channel protocol.
On the other hand, the network system called the NAS (Network Attached Storage) has been developed. The NAS is arranged to connect a plurality of storage device systems with the information processing apparatus through the network configured according to the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) so that the access to the storage device system may be realized on the file basis. In the NAS, the device having a file-system function is connected with the storage device system, so that the information processing apparatus may access to the storage device system on the file basis. In particular, today, a remark is focused on a large-scaled NAS in which a file system is coupled with the storage device system managed in a RAI (Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks) for providing a gigantic storage resource called a mid-range class or an enterprise class one.
The conventional NAS, however, is realized by connecting the storage device system having no TCP/IP communication function and no file-system function with the information processing apparatus having the TCP/IP communication function and the file-system function. This thus requires an additional area where the information processing apparatus to be connected therewith is installed. Further, since the information processing apparatus is connected with the storage device system through the SAN because the communications need to be fast, it has been necessary to install the communication control equipment and function dedicated for the purpose.
The present invention is made in consideration of the foregoing shortcomings. It is a main object of the present invention to provide a storage device system newly invented to be connected with a plurality of different kinds of networks, a storage device control device required to invent such a storage device system, and a method of controlling a duplication of the device control device.